Another Life

Chapter 19 - For friends and lovers

By the time morning had come, I felt incredible, there was no other word for it. Compared to the last few days? It was like being reborn, though I'd really had no experience with that, like I'd just ...shed the wounds and grown new skin. My wounds were already healing, pain fading, and the comfort of friends and my lover was more than enough to spur me onto the horse's back behind Aragorn once more. Rohan! Action! Let's go!

"You must be feeling better." Aragorn commented, over his shoulder to me, smiling as he lifted the reins in one hand.

We rode for some time, up the slopes, my bum aching, but I refused to care. Why should I care? I held onto Aragorn, gazing around, knees hanging onto the horses' warm flank.

As we came over a slope, we finally saw what I had been waiting for. Gandalf called, " Edoras, and the Golden Hall of Meduseld. There dwells Théoden, King of Rohan, whose mind is over thrown. Saruman's hold over King Théoden is now very strong." He ran his eyes over us. "Be careful what you say. Do not look for welcome here."

Fair enough. I really didn't expect to find welcome here.

We rode hard, up the slope, for the city on the hill, and slowed as we entered the city. People stared at us, pale faces, drawn faces, people stressed, scared and afraid. Even of me, I realised, even though I was clearly a woman.

"You'd find more cheer in a graveyard." Gimli muttered, as he stared around, and I had to agree.

We rode up as far as we could, and when we reached the stairs, we dismounted and headed up where guards waited for us.

"I cannot allow you before Théoden King so armed, Gandalf Grayhame by order of Grima Wormtongue." The man looked kind of apologetic about it, about as entuastic about the order as he would eating a worm, but he waited, and Gandalf met our eyes.

I didn't have a weapon. Whatever had happened to sword... it was gone now. But the others did, and I watched, as they offered all their weapons.

"Your staff." The man glanced at it.

"Oh, no. You would not part an old man from his walking stick?" Gandalf was doing a pretty good job of 'feeble old man'. Legolas and I met eyes over his head, and I moved to stand beside him, Legolas taking his free arm. He 'helped' him inside as we were led to the King.

Grima. I stared at him, as we made our way slowly down the hall, this creepy man sitting on the arm of the King. Not just that though. Around us, men were following, men that gave me the creeps, their eyes boring into us.

They were waiting to attack. I tried to ignore them.